


Love is Worth Any Pain

by astudyinfic



Series: Love Hurts [1]
Category: Warrior's Cross - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blake's life just got a thousand times harder, Blood, Cameron Jacobs has four of them, Julian Cross doesn't like dogs, M/M, Romantic Soulmates, Softness, Soulmates feel the injuries of the other, assassin in love, mention of serious injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 07:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20756327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: As a waiter, Cameron deals with any number of injuries.  But the gunshot wounds, stabs, broken bones, burns, and many others are unsettling, particularly since they aren't happening to him.Once he finds his soulmate, he's going to find out just who the man pissed off to get injured that many times.





	Love is Worth Any Pain

Cameron looked down at his hand, letting out a soft grunt of pain as it started to swell. At this point, the pain was almost secondary to the worry for whoever was receiving these injuries in the first place. A week didn’t go by where Cameron didn’t have a new bruise, or broken bone, or stab wound. The gunshots were the worst and he was getting really tired of patching himself up when the most exciting thing he did was work a double at Tuesdays. 

Whoever his soulmate was, he’d need to explain himself once Cameron finally met him. 

After Cameron was sure he was okay. Because who got hurt _that_ much? His soulmate surely lived a dangerous life and anxiety ate at Cameron whenever he thought about it.

But like everyone else with a soulmate, Cameron went on with his day regardless of the injuries he might have sustained. One could not die from a soulmate’s injury, which helped ease some of the fear he held for himself but that didn’t mean his soulmate wouldn’t die before Cameron ever got a chance to meet the man. Every time he found a new injury on his body, relief flooded through him along with the concern. As long as his soulmate continued to get injured, it meant the man was still alive. 

He was obviously a man. Cameron didn’t even entertain another possibility. 

Sometimes the injuries made it difficult to continue with his job. A broken hand made it difficult to open a bottle of wine, for example, though he managed to get through it most of the time. Rarely did he need to ask someone for help, only with the most severe of his marks. The few times Cameron let it show that he was injured in any way, Miri went into overprotective mode, threatening his soulmate with death and dismemberment if he hurt Cameron again. "You do realize it isn't his fault, right?" he asked, exasperated. "He's feeling this a hundred times more than I am. He could actually die from it. And if you dismember him, how do you think I will feel?" Cameron shuddered at the very idea. There was no way losing a limb would feel even remotely okay, even if it was happening to his soulmate and not him. 

Miri's soulmate didn't get hurt nearly as much as Cameron's did and she had a skewed view of how the bond should work. "I just think he should be more careful, knowing that there is someone out there who feels all the same things he does."

Cameron couldn't argue with that, as he was always very careful to avoid injury. He figured his soulmate had enough to worry about without a sprained ankle or concussion to deal with that came from Cameron. "Maybe he does something dangerous? Probably a soldier or something like that." It would explain the gunshot wounds, Cameron mused. Though it also meant he was probably someplace very far away and it seemed less likely they would meet any time soon. 

He shook himself, slipping from the kitchen to wrap up his wrist and get ready for the dinner service. Thinking about his soulmate was something he could do on his own time. Blake paid him to serve the customers and run the back of the house. Getting everyone organized took very little time as everyone knew their jobs and did them well. Cameron was only there if something went terribly wrong. 

“It’s Tuesday,” Miri muttered to him as she passed by to serve the first patrons of the night. As if Cameron could forget. Tuesdays were his favorite night of the week. Because of _him_. 

A silent customer who was always seated in Cameron’s section, no matter what section he happened to be working that night. Cameron occasionally thought about asking Blake why the man was always in his section but it was not his job to gossip about the customers. Even customers so beautiful, Cameron thought he could cry every time he laid eyes on him. 

Not that he would.

He was far too professional to make that much of a fool of himself. 

The customer, however, wouldn't be in until later. He never showed before nine and often came within only an hour of closing. Not that Cameron minded. The later times meant he had fewer tables to deal with and could focus more intently on the only one he truly cared about. 

They'd never said a word to one another that wasn't part of the weekly routine and Cameron wasn't going to be the one to break the tradition. If the man wanted to talk to him, then he could. Cameron was always available to him. 

The evening went quickly, the night busy for a Tuesday, which tended to be one of the slower nights. When he was bringing the check to a four-top, he saw the man seated at a table by the window, staring out over the city. Cameron smiled to himself and made his way over, not bothering with bringing a menu. He already knew that the other would be having tonight. "Good evening, sir and welcome to Tuesdays. I’m Cameron and I will be serving you tonight. Our special tonight is lamb and caramelized parsnip with a sauce of mint and kelp vinegar. Will you be having the special and the house wine tonight?" It was the same every week. It didn't matter what the special was, the man would order it. Now that Cameron knew that, the other didn't need to speak at all, which was a shame. The soft baritone of his voice never failed to send chills down Cameron's spine. 

The man nodded and Cameron smiled, stepping away to go get the wine and put his order in with the kitchen. He returned only a few moments later, bottle in hand to open tableside like he did every week. However, this week, the bandage on his hand made it difficult, and his hand twinged as he tried to pull out the cork. It was all he could do not to curse as he struggled with the simple movement that normally required no thought on his part at all. "I am sorry, sir. I am going to need to get someone else to open the bottle. I will be right back."

A hand shot out, wrapping gently around Cameron's forearm, causing warmth to bloom in Cameron’s chest. "Are you alright, Cameron? I can do it for you. I do not wish to associate with anyone else here." Cameron’s brows raised but he nodded and handed the bottle and corkscrew over. “What happened to your hand, if you do not mind me asking? Occupational hazard?”

Never before had the man spoken to him so much and that combined with the fact that they had touched was making it difficult for Cameron to think clearly. He nodded, mind grasping for the right words. “Yes,” he finally settled on, deciding it was safer than talking about his still unknown soulmate with what amounted to a perfect stranger. “Something like that, I’m afraid.” The man took the bottle and opened it deftly, handing it back to Cameron with a small smile. “Those can be difficult with a hand injury.” He offered nothing more even as Cameron wondered about where the stylish gentleman might have injured his hand. He seemed like a businessman, based on his apparel, but there was something underneath, like a leopard waiting to be let out of his cage.

He was dangerous. Cameron knew that with absolute certainty. How he knew that, he wasn’t sure, but it was true nonetheless. 

Just as he knew the man would never hurt him personally. Even if he did, Cameron didn’t think he would mind. It wouldn’t be purposeful.

Not for the first time, he wondered if the man could be his soulmate, but he never showed up with any injuries that Cameron could see. If he had, maybe Cameron could relax a little. Once he poured the wine, he hurried back to the servers’ station where he was confronted by Miri. Like every other time the man came into Tuesdays.

“He grabbed you! Do I need to get Blake to kick him out?” Miri held a deep contempt for the man. She claimed it was out of concern for Cameron, thinking the man’s attention towards him wasn’t safe, but Cameron thought it might be that she was jealous of the tips the man always gave him. They doubled his earnings from the night every time, and that wasn’t an insubstantial amount to start with. 

Cameron laughed, rolling his eyes. “No, it’s fine. He was concerned about my hand and offered to open the bottle for me, that’s all. It was...sweet.” None of his other customers had batted an eye at his injury all night, just expecting him to power through whatever pain he was in to provide them with the excellent service Tuesdays was known for. While Cameron wanted to believe it meant the man cared for him, it was more likely that he was simply polite. 

“Whatever,” Miri huffed, leaving him behind to go deal with her last few tables of the night. 

Cameron appreciated that she was protective, even as he knew it wasn’t necessary. 

The rest of the evening passed without incident and the man left when Cameron was in the back, leaving the amount of the check and double that as a tip. None of that was unusual. What was unusual was the note that accompanied it. “Please be careful, Cameron. Look after that hand and tell Blake you need more help if you do. -J” Cameron pocketed the note with a smile on his face. 

J. 

It was the first clue he had to the man’s identity because other than the fact that the customer knew Blake and liked their daily special, Cameron didn’t know anything about him. 

Life continued on without much change. Tuesday continued to be Cameron’s favorite day and J continued to be his favorite customer. Life was pleasant, content, normal. Cameron couldn’t ask for anything more than that. Sure, he had the occasional bruise (or worse) from his soulmate, but that was life as he knew it and as long as he was still getting the injuries, he knew his soulmate was still alive out there somewhere. It was only a matter of time before they met. 

A month after learning the customer’s initial, he was back in the restaurant, seated in Cameron’s section as usual. He’d just ordered his dinner when Blake joined him at the table, the two engrossed in whatever it was they were talking about. Cameron was well-versed on not eavesdropping. It wasn’t his place to listen in on his customers. Cameron went back to check on it when one of the other servers dropped a plate, shattering it on the ground. 

Without thought, Cameron knelt down to help pick it up when when of the shards sliced open his finger. It stung like crazy and bled even more but Cameron was accustomed to dealing with injuries at that point and knew it wouldn’t even need stitches. He went to rinse it off and bandage it so he could get back to work when he heard Blake’s voice carried across the mostly empty dining room. 

“Julian! What the hell? Why are you bleeding?”

The urgency in Blake’s voice had Cameron’s feet moving before he made a conscious decision to do so. He turned the corner so he could see the dining room and saw his boss standing there, helping his favorite customer. The one formerly known only as J. 

Julian. 

Who had the exact same injury Cameron did but looked significantly more panicked about it. 

“Oh, this isn’t so bad. Must be your soulmate, right?” Blake was saying, pulling the now bloody napkin away from Julian’s hand. “I bet he’s in a lot of pain right now.” 

Julian went even paler and stared at his hand as if he could will the injury away with the force of a glare. “He’s never been hurt before. All this time and not a scratch, not a bruise. There must be something wrong. I need to find him.” Cameron would never have heard the words if he wasn’t already crossing the room, falling to his knees in front of Julian’s chair. His soulmate. 

Miri was going to hate this.

But she was the least of Cameron’s worries at the moment. 

Looking up at Julian, Cameron wondered how he had missed the fact that this man was the one he was meant to be with. He’d never seen Julian (and wasn’t that a beautiful name?) with any injury but looking into his eyes, Cameron didn’t have a doubt in his heart that they were fated. “I’m fine. I cut my finger on a plate. You don’t need to worry about me.”

He watched as Julian’s breath caught, putting two and two together. “Cameron? You?” 

Cam just nodded. “I think I’m the one who should be worried about you. This is just a little scratch. But you...” He didn’t list all the injuries, knowing Julian would know what they were better than anyone. It didn’t make sense that this sophisticated gentleman would be shot, stabbed, and burned as often as he was, let alone all the broken bones and bruises that often littered Cameron’s body. 

Julian opened his mouth to speak but Cameron shook his head. He didn’t want to have this conversation in public. This was just for them. And it was a quiet night. No one would miss him if he was gone. “Blake, I’m taking the rest of the night off,” he said matter of factly without pulling his eyes from Julian’s. “I’m taking tomorrow night off as well.” If this worked out, he wanted time with Julian. If he didn’t, he wanted time to deal with it by himself before he had to face everyone at work.

If Blake replied, Cameron didn't hear him. He simply stood and offered his hand to Julian who, for his part, looked absolutely stunned at the turn of events. 

Julian did pull his eyes away from Cameron to look at Blake. "Let Preston know," he said in a soft Irish brogue. "He'll need to be on duty tonight. If he claims to not understand, explain that it is a matter of life and death." 

Cameron didn't know who Preston was or what kind of duty he held but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but being near Julian, getting to know him. They would work everything else out later.

Julian offered Cameron his arm and together, they left Tuesdays without ever looking behind him. Cameron loved his job and had never once left before a shift was over but right now, he had more important things to do.

"I live outside the city," Julian explained in the elevator. "We can take a taxi out there or we can go to yours? I would rather not be in public right now."

"I'm only a few blocks, if you don't mind the walk." They could call a taxi, but Julian was a warm weight beside him, the place where their arms touched on fire with excitement and desire. Cameron didn't want to be any farther from him than he needed to be.

As they stepped out onto the street, Julian tensed beside him. Cameron briefly entertained the idea that his soulmate was embarrassed by him. After all, Cameron was neither wealthy nor good looking, he worked as a waiter, not in some high powered job like Julian probably expected his soulmate to have. But he quickly cast those thoughts aside because they were soulmates, literally made for one another. There was probably nothing he could do that would turn Julian away from him, just as he couldn't think of anything that Julian might say or do that would cause Cameron to walk away without looking back. 

Julian let go of his arm and snaked his own around Cameron's waist, holding him close enough that walking was a little more difficult than before. Not that Cameron was complaining. 

The short walk to his apartment seemed to take far longer than normal and he was relieved to see his familiar doorman holding it open for them. "Mr. Jacobs," he said, greeting Cameron and his guest with a nod. He was well known to the staff, always polite and often brought leftovers from Tuesdays for whoever had the night shift when he got home from work. As such, they went out of their way to be friendly and helpful, something Cameron appreciated. 

Cameron didn't remember the last time he brought someone home. He hadn't lived a celebate life. Just because he had a soulmate out there didn't mean he couldn't pass the time with others until he found him. But those were few and far between. Having Julian here now felt surreal. 

Opening the door, Cameron shooed all his dogs back, trying to keep the yipping herd from jumping on Julian and leaving him covered in white fur. "Let me just lock them up and we can talk. I should have a bottle of wine in the kitchen if you'd like to open it." Alcohol sounded good. He was so nervous, having pictured this moment so many times but never really considering what it would be like once he was actually in the moment. 

"You...have a lot of dogs," Julian said, edging his way around the room in order to avoid all of the puppies. 

Glancing up, Cameron saw his discomfort and smiled apologetically. "You're not a dog person, are you?"

Julian shook his head. "I prefer cats, myself. Have two of them. But I'm sure I will get used to your menagerie eventually."

Cameron's heart soared at that. Sure, it was disappointing that his soulmate didn't love his dogs immediately but even Cam knew they could be a bit much sometimes. To know that Julian planned to stick around long enough to "get used to them" was enough to make him happy. 

Julian disappeared into the kitchen, probably in search of the wine while Cameron herded all the dogs into their pen. "You all be quiet and polite and there will be plenty of treats when I let you out." Whether they understood him or not, Cam didn't know but they did get quiet and that was all he could ask. 

He met Julian in the kitchen and accepted the wine offered to him. They toasted and took a sip, content to be near each other. But eventually, Julian said, "I'm sure you have some questions." 

Cameron did. He was bursting with questions and knew exactly which one to ask first. "Are you alright?"

To say Julian looked shocked at the question would be an understatement. He stared at Cameron, mouth hanging comically open and was at a loss for words for several long moments. Finally, he asked, "Am I alright? In what way do you mean?"

"I mean, all my life I have woken with some of the worst injuries imaginable. Why are you getting hurt so often? Why are people hurting you so often? Because I know this isn't just you being clumsy. I've been stabbed, shot, burned, and so many other injuries I don't have time to list them. I have felt gunshot wounds one night and seen you at Tuesdays the next. How is it that your injuries could bring me so low and yet you seem remarkably unphased by them? If there is something I can do to help you, to keep this from happening, I want to do it. Not for my sake, I can deal with whatever you are going through, but for yours, because you shouldn't have." 

Julian started to say something but Cameron was on a roll and kept going. "Tonight, I cut my finger and you looked like you might pass out, yet several weeks ago you had a fresh gunshot wound in your leg and you weren't even limping. Please explain it to me, Julian because it breaks my heart to know you are hurting so often."

"I work in antiques," Julian said quietly, taking Cameron's hand to look at the injury on his finger.

Cameron scoffed softly and curled his hand around Julian's. "I might just be a waiter, Julian, but I recognize a lie when I see one. Please, tell me what you do that gets you hurt so often. Tell me if I have to worry about you not coming home someday."

Julian was silent for long enough that Cameroun wondered if he might never tell him the story. But eventually, he sighed and tightened his grip on Cameron's hand as if to keep him close if everything went wrong. "I kill people, Cameron. Or do whatever it takes to get what I need from them. I've worked for various agencies and many people have tried to kill me but they have never succeeded. I would like to tell you that you have nothing to worry about but that would be a lie. There may come a day when I do not return home, when one of those injuries that so cruelly appear on your body might finally be the one to take me out of this world. But I will do everything in my power to come home to you whenever I can. If you will still have me. You cannot know how sorry I am that you have had to suffer because the universe unfairly tied you to a man like me." 

It took a moment for Cameron to process that. He'd known Julian for over a year now and in all that time, he'd never said so many words in total, let alone all at once. 

Aside from that, his soulmate just admitted to being a killer of some sort so Cameron felt justified in taking a moment to figure out how he felt about that and how to respond. He was a little surprised to notice that it didn't bother him, not the way it probably should. He was worried about Julian getting hurt far more than he worried about what he was doing while getting those injuries. 

"Do you promise not to lie to me about how you get hurt? If you get stabbed, I want to know why. I feel like the fact that I share these injuries entitles me to know why you have them, don't you think?"

"You don't mind?" Shock colored Julian's features and it was all Cameron could do not to laugh at his surprise. 

Shaking his head, Cameron smiled. "No, not really. I've lived with the injuries since I was young, so I expected that you did something dangerous and possibly illegal. Honestly, some of my teenage imaginings are far more colorful than you being some sort of an assassin. So no, Julian, I don't mind, as long as you promise to be honest with me. If you can do that, then I can live with everything else."

Julian didn't say anything, simply pulled Cameron to him and kissed him for all he was worth. Cameron had kissed a number of other guys in his life and enjoyed most of them but nothing compared to kissing Julian, to kissing his soulmate. He finally understood what everyone talked about when it came to meeting your fated other half. 

His heart pounded in his chest as if trying to get out to be with its counterpart. His soul seemed to sing, vibrating at some frequency that was only answered by the same note coming from Julian. Even their kiss was less like a first kiss and more of a relief, a feeling of coming home after a long day, of finally being somewhere you could relax and be yourself. Cameron never wanted the feeling to end, and if that meant spending the rest of his life by the side of a killer, so be it. 

No one was perfect but Julian was perfect for him and that was all that mattered. 

They could figure out a way to protect them both later on. Right now, his hands, lips, and mind were focused on more far important things. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr at [astudyinfic](http://astudyinfic.tumblr.com) or twitter at [astudyinfic](http://twitter.com/astudyinfic).
> 
> If you really love Warrior's Cross (or any of Abi's other books), come join the [C&R discord server](https://discord.gg/GETku4)!


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